The Armenian education authorities are teaming up with the University of the Arts London and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to develop the Arts Clusters in the Academic City.

The Cabinet discussed and approved the acquisition of consulting services on Thursday.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, Zhanna Andreasyan, said at the Cabinet meeting that the agenda item included two items concerning the necessary content-related work for establishing the Arts Clusters.

“With these two items, we are establishing cooperation with the most reputable universities in this field, which will support the development of the Arts Clusters’ concept and assist in its implementation. We have negotiated with two universities, and today’s decisions allow us to move forward with signing the contracts,” she said.

According to Minister Andreasyan, working with these two universities will allow the Arts Clusters in the Academic City to provide content that meets the highest international standards and make education in this field in Armenia competitive for both Armenian and international students, who could confidently come to Armenia to study.

She elaborated that the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will handle work related to the musical component, with a contract planned for £371,325. The University of the Arts London will carry out work in all other directions included in the Arts Clusters, with a contract value of £368,778.

“The cooperation is planned in three phases over approximately 24 months. This includes developing the concept as well as capacity-building efforts, because it is very important that, with the involvement of international partners, we develop local capacities,” Minister Andreasyan said.

She also recalled that the Government of Armenia already has reputable international partners for the formation of educational clusters in the Academic City. “The contract with the Institute of Education at University College London is underway, and they are currently here continuing the work. I should also mention that we worked with the Technical University of Munich on the technological clusters. The first phase of that work has already been completed. Right now, we are negotiating with the University of Cambridge regarding the classical clusters, and I believe we will soon present the contract with them for government consideration,” the minister added.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that through these contracts, international partners are working not just with the Government, but directly with the universities and students themselves, which is very important.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the Foreign Intelligence Service’s recent statement claiming foreign meddling targeting Armenians abroad ahead of the general elections.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Cabinet meeting, Pashinyan said that, first of all, a legal assessment must be conducted.

“And politically, I have already said that I have no doubt that, if such a situation were theoretically possible, the majority of our compatriots living in Russia would vote in our favor,” Pashinyan said.

Asked why the Foreign Intelligence Service did not specify the country involved, he added: “That is a matter of the volume and relevance of the information. I believe that more detailed clarifications will be provided in the future, as needed.”

Armenia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned earlier this week of a foreign interference threat, noting that gathered intelligence indicates that “various actors” are attempting to meddle in the country’s upcoming June 7 parliamentary elections by pressuring Armenians abroad—specifically in a certain country—to support certain political parties. The Investigative Committee has launched an investigation. The intelligence agency did not name the country involved. 

The Prime Minister had earlier commented on claims that Samvel Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party allegedly intends to transport Armenian nationals living in Russia to Armenia ahead of the June 7 elections to secure their votes. Pashinyan said that even if the Russian-Armenians came to vote, they would support his Civil Contract party rather than Strong Armenia.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that he has no doubt the initialed peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed.

“I have no doubt that the peace agreement will be signed. When it will be signed is another matter, but it will be signed,” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing. 

According to Pashinyan, the alignment of positions between Armenia and Azerbaijan is now clearer, as peace is considered established even when the treaty has only been initialed.

“We are now talking about consolidating peace and making it irreversible. In this regard, domestic political processes in both Armenia and Azerbaijan are also important. There are forces in Armenia—and I assume in Azerbaijan as well, though honestly, I am not very familiar with Azerbaijan’s internal political processes—that are not entirely satisfied with peace and may try to reverse it. We, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, must uphold the established peace and make it irreversible,” he added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed the peace agreement during a U.S.-brokered summit on August 8, 2025.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated on Thursday that the new proposed Constitution of Armenia, which is currently under development, should not contain a reference to the Declaration of Independence, unlike the current Constitution.

He was asked whether his stance on the matter remains the same.

“I have already addressed this issue, and I do not see any need to change my position. Yes, the new Constitution should not reference the Declaration of Independence. And I will explain why: the Declaration of Independence is structured around a logic of conflict. We cannot proceed with the logic of conflict and expect to build an independent state,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing. 

Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan previously said that the text of the proposed Constitution would be made public in March 2026.

The Pashinyan administration first announced the need for a new constitution in 2019.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there will not be any issues in Armenia regarding Iran’s ban on the export of food products amid the ongoing war.

“I want to emphasize that the Republic of Armenia itself is a food-exporting country. We export tens of thousands of tons of food to other countries, so there is no problem there,” he said at a press briefing when asked about the possible impact of Iran’s export restrictions.

Addressing a question about potential inflationary effects in Armenia amid the ongoing war in Iran, Pashinyan stressed:

“As for inflation, there are relevant state bodies that conduct daily monitoring, and if necessary, measures will be taken.”

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East. Iran halted food exports amid the escalating conflict.

Armenian Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan underscored that Armenia is currently the only country with which the EU is engaged in visa liberalization dialogue.

Speaking at a joint press conference with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in Yerevan, Sargsyan said that this fact represents a strong political signal and reflects the deep cooperation between the parties.

According to the minister, the dialogue on EU visa liberalization for Armenian citizens, which began in September 2024, is an important phase in the development of cooperation between the two sides.

“This process is not just about travel opportunities for our country. It encompasses a broad reform agenda aimed at strengthening our state institutions, improving migration and border management, and developing international law enforcement cooperation. I would also like to note that, since the start of the dialogue, Armenia has received the action plan in a record timeframe compared to comparable countries, which is an extremely demanding assessment. As the lead negotiator on the Armenian side, I consider it important to emphasize that, since the start of the dialogue, Armenia has already achieved tangible progress, according to our assessments. The Armenian government is fully committed to implementing all the criteria set out in the European Union’s visa liberalization action plan,” Sargsyan emphasized, adding that relevant mechanisms have been established to effectively coordinate the process.

The Minister of Internal Affairs also stated that Armenia will continue close cooperation with the European Union and international partners to ensure the successful implementation of this process.

In November 2025, Johannes Luchner, the Deputy Director-General at the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, handed over the EU-Armenia Visa Liberalization Action Plan to Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan.

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, praised Armenia’s progress in the visa liberalization dialogue.

“Today, I held meetings with the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, discussing the remarkable progress Armenia has made in the visa liberalization process. This is very important: since the dialogue began in 2024, progress has been steady, and the EU provided Armenia with the visa liberalization action plan in November 2025. Significant advances have been made regarding document security, migration management, and biometric passports and ID cards, which Armenian citizens will soon be able to obtain,” said Brunner, adding that one of the purposes of his visit is to encourage Armenia to continue implementing these reforms.

According to Brunner, the next phase of the process will be a report on the progress of implementing the visa liberalization action plan, which is scheduled to be presented in May of this year during the EU–Armenia summit.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner.

The Prime Minister welcomed Commissioner Brunner’s visit to Armenia and emphasized the steady development of cooperation with the European Union, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a readout.

PM Pashinyan highlighted the EU’s continued support for the effective implementation of democratic reforms in Armenia, adding that the government’s goal is to introduce standards across various sectors that meet EU criteria.

The Prime Minister also expressed satisfaction with the work carried out toward Armenia–EU visa liberalization, noting that visa liberalization will be another important step in deepening and expanding bilateral relations.

In turn, Magnus Brunner emphasized that Armenia is successfully and efficiently implementing the visa liberalization action plan, expressing hope that Armenia’s consistent efforts will lead to the expected outcome. At the same time, the EU Commissioner reiterated the EU’s readiness to provide support to advance these reforms.

The parties exchanged views on the agenda of Armenia–EU cooperation and also discussed other issues of regional significance.

The timing of the implementation of visa liberalisation measures with the European Union depends on Armenia, Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Sargsyan said that within the framework of the visa liberalisation dialogue with the EU, a roadmap is being developed to define the deadlines for actions to be taken by the relevant Armenian institutions.

She said the aim is to make the results of the process visible to citizens as soon as possible.

“The visa liberalisation dialogue is also about providing our citizens with new opportunities,” the minister said, adding that the action plan provided by EU partners does not set a specific time limit.

According to Sargsyan, the timeline will depend on how quickly and effectively Armenia implements the required measures.

She noted that several actions have already been completed, while others are currently underway.

“We are committed to continuing and fully ensuring their implementation,” she said.

Sargsyan stressed that the quality of implementation is particularly important, as the programme is aimed at introducing new standards across various sectors in Armenia and improving the quality of life of citizens.

EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, said on Thursday in Yerevan that Armenian nationals are showing growing interest in traveling to the EU, as reflected in the rising number of visa applications.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with the Armenian Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan. 

According to Brunner, applications for short-term visas, particularly in 2024, have increased by 10 percent compared to 2023.

“More than 100,000 applicants have registered, which demonstrates Armenian citizens’ strong interest in traveling to the EU. This is, of course, a positive development,” he said, adding that consular sections of EU member states are working under considerable workload to manage the visa application queues.

Brunner also noted that efforts are underway with EU partners to streamline and facilitate the process by bringing in additional staff.